Brazil’s carnival celebrations

A dragonfly statue, part of Mangueira samba school float, is seen before crashing against a television tower, during the Carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Feb. 11.

Antonio Scorza / AFP

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A performer from the Unidos de Vila Isabel samba school parades during Carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, on Feb. 12. Rio de Janeiro's samba schools vied for the title of the year's best in an over-the-top, all-night-long Carnival parade at the city's iconic Sambadrome.

Felipe Dana / AP

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Revelers of Beija Flor samba school perform during the second night of Carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Feb. 11.

Performers from the Unidos de Vila Isabel samba school parade during Carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, on Feb. 12.

Hassan Ammar / AP

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A member of the samba school Imperatriz Leopoldinense performs during their parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Feb. 11.

Fernando Bizerra Jr / EFE

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Performers from the Unidos de Vila Isabel samba school participate in Carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, on Feb. 12.

Silvia Izquierdo / AP

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Drum queen Cris Vianna from Imperatriz Leopoldinense samba school participates in the annual Carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro's Sambadrome, on Feb. 12.

Pilar Olivares / X00856

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Sabrina Sato of Unidos de Vila Isabel performs during Carnival at Sambodrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Feb. 12.

Buda Mendes/stf / LatinContent WO

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A performer from the Unidos da Tijuca samba school parades on a float during Carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, early on Feb. 11, 2013.

Felipe Dana / AP

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Revelers of Portela samba school perform during the Carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Feb. 11.

Antonio Scorza / AFP

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Performers from the Unidos da Tijuca samba school parade during Carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, early on Feb. 11.

Hassan Ammar / AP

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A performer from the Unidos da Tijuca samba school jumps on a float during Carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, early on Feb. 11.

Felipe Dana / AP

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A performer from the Portela samba school parades during Carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, on Feb. 11.

Silvia Izquierdo / AP

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Performers from the Portela samba school parade during Carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, on Feb. 11.

Silvia Izquierdo / AP

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A reveler from the Imperio de Casa verde Samba School takes part in a Carnival at Anhembi Sambadrome in Sao Paulo, on Feb. 10.

Nacho Doce / X01629

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A member of the Samba school Grupo Especial 'Imperio da Casa Verde' takes part in a parade at the Sambodromo of Anhebi, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Feb. 10.

Sebastiao Moreira / EFE

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Members of samba school 'Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel' take part in a parade at the 'Sambodromo' of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Feb. 10.

Antonio Lacerda / EFE

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Performers from the Inocentes de Belford Roxo samba school parade during Carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Feb. 10.

Silvia Izquierdo / AP

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Revelers of the Unidos da Tijuca samba school participate in the annual Carnival parade at Rio de Janeiro's Sambadrome, on Feb. 10.

Ricardo Moraes / X02675

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A reveler of the Salgueiro samba school participates on the first night of the annual Carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro's Sambadrome, on Feb. 10.

Sergio Moraes / X90023

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Performers from the Academicos do Salgueiro samba school parade on a float during Carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Feb. 10.

Felipe Dana / AP

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Members of samba school Grupo Especial 'Unidos da Vila Maria' dance while they take part in a parade at Sambodromo of Anhebi in Sao Paulo, Brazil, early on Feb. 10.

Sebastiao Moreira / EFE

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A dancer from the Imperio de Casa Verde samba school performs during a Carnival parade in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Feb. 10.

Andre Penner / AP

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Revelers of the Salgueiro samba school participate on the first night of the annual Carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro's Sambadrome, on Feb. 10.

Pilar Olivares / X00856

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A performer from the Academicos do Salgueiro samba school parades during Carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Feb. 10.

Silvia Izquierdo / AP

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Revelers participate on the first night of the annual Carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro's Sambadrome, on Feb. 10.

Pilar Olivares / X00856

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Revelers of the Inocentes de Belford-Roxo samba school perform during the first night of Carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Feb. 10. Inocentes pays tribute to the 50th aniversary of South Korean immigration to Brazil.

Antonio Scorza / AFP

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Brazilian celebrity Sabrina Sato performs with Gavioes da Fiel samba school during the second night of Carnival parades at the Sambadrome in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Feb. 10.

Yasuyoshi Chiba / AFP

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A dancer performs atop a float during Inocentes de Belford Roxo samba school parade, at the Sambadrome during Carnival celebrations in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Feb. 10.

Silvia Izquierdo / AP

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Performers from the Inocentes de Belford Roxo samba school parade on a float, during Carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Feb. 10.

Felipe Dana / AP

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King Momo (left) and 2013 Carnival Queen dance before the start of the second night of Carnival parades at the Sambadrome in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Feb. 9.

Yasuyoshi Chiba / AFP

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Revelers of Nene de Vila Matilde samba school perform atop a float during the second night of Carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Feb. 9.

Yasuyoshi Chiba / AFP

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Brazilian Ednelson Pereira wears a costume representing the sun, during a contest for the best Carnival costume in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Feb. 9. The costume costs around 50,000 dollars.

Christophe Simon / AFP

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A dancer from the Nene da Vila Matilde samba school performs during a Carnival parade in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Feb. 9.

Andre Penner / AP

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A dancer from the Aguia de Ouro samba school performs on a float during a Carnival parade in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Feb. 9. Brazil's annual Carnival celebration lures millions to parties across the country. However, this year's festivities began under the shadow of a nightclub fire in Santa Maria that killed 238 people.

Andre Penner / AP

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A dancer from the Rosas de Ouro samba school performs during a Carnival parade in Sao Paulo, on Feb. 9.

Andre Penner / AP

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A reveler of the Vai-Vai samba school performs during the first night of Carnival parades in Sao Paulo, on Feb. 9.

Yasuyoshi Chiba / AFP

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Dancers from the Rosas de Ouro samba school perform during a Carnival parade in Sao Paulo, Brazil, early on Feb. 9.

Andre Penner / AP

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A couple dressed as clowns participate in the "Cordao da Bola Preta" street parade in Rio de Janeiro, on Feb. 9. According to Rio's tourism office, Rio's street Carnival this year consists of 492 block parties, attended by an estimated five million Carnival enthusiasts.

Felipe Dana / AP

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Revelers participate in the "Carmelitas" street carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro, on Feb. 8. "Carmelitas" is a band started in 1990 by a group of friends who gathered for soccer and drinks just outside a Carmelite convent. Jokes about the possibility of nuns escaping to join the party gave rise to the band, which parades twice: once at the beginning of Carnival, when the nuns escape the convent to join the fun, and then on the last day, when they return to their cloistered existence.

Felipe Dana / AP

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Revelers of the Rosas de Ouro samba school perform atop a float during the first night of Carnival parades in Sao Paulo, on Feb. 8.

Nelson Almeida / AFP

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A reveler of Academicos do Tatuape samba school performs during the first night of Carnival parades in Sao Paulo, on Feb. 8.

Nelson Almeida / AFP

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Members of the Afro-Brazilian cultural group Olodum perform during a Carnival street party in Salvador da Bahia, on Feb. 8.

Lunae Parracho / X03130

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Crowned and costumed Milton Rodrigues Jr. -- as this year's King Momo, the mythical jester figure who reigns over Carnival -- holds up the key to the city given by Rio de Janeiro's Mayor Eduardo Paes, left, at the official ceremony kicking off the five-day bash, on Feb. 8.

Felipe Dana / AP

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Revelers dance during the annual block party known as the "Suvaco do Cristo" (Armpit of Christ), one of the many pre-Carnival parties to take place in the neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro, on Feb. 3.

Ricardo Moraes / X02675

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A woman smiles for a photo at the 'Carnaval na Central' Carnival block parade, in central station, during pre-Carnival celebrations in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Feb. 2.

Felipe Dana / AP

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Simpatia e Quase Amor or "Kindness is almost love," block party members and faithful carry a boat filled with flowers as an offering to the sea goddess,Yemanja, during a pre-Carnival celebration in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Feb. 2. Worshippers honor the deity, offering flowers and launching boats, large and small, into the ocean showing their gratitude for her blessings bestowed upon them. The belief in the goddess comes from the African Yoruban religion brought to America by West African slaves.

Silvia Izquierdo / AP

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A woman dances at the 'Carnaval na Central' Carnival block parade, in central station, during pre-Carnival celebrations in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Feb. 2.

Felipe Dana / AP

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Children pass the time at a pre-Carnival celebration in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Feb. 1. A Police Pacification Unit, UPP, organized the party for about 80 children from surrounding shantytowns. The UPP program aims to reduce crime, bring services to shantytown residents and increase safety in preparation for the World Cup in 2014 and the 2016 Olympic games.

Silvia Izquierdo / AP

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"Clown doctors" and others entertain patients and their relatives during pre-Carnival festivities at the Eduardo Rabello hospital in Rio de Janeiro, on Jan. 31. The Brazilian clowns are members of the "Doutores da Alegria", a non-profit organization that aims to cheer up sick people. According to the NGO, they conduct approximately 75,000 visits per year to hospitals in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Recife and Belo Horizonte.

Sergio Moraes / X90023

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Eduardo Rasberge, 48, known as "suitcase woman," wears a decorative suitcase on his head while posing for a photo during the Banda de Ipanema block parade, a pre-Carnival event, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Jan. 26. Rasberge said, inspired by singer Carmen Miranda, the Suitcase Woman has been a Carnival regular for the past 30 years.

Silvia Izquierdo / AP

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A reveler participates in the annual block party known as the "Banda de Ipanema", during pre-Carnival festivities in Rio de Janeiro, on Jan. 26.

Pilar Olivares / X00856

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Members of the Grande Rio Samba school rehearse at the 'Cidade do Samba,' or Samba City, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Jan. 24. Each year, samba schools pick out a theme that may be based on a historic event or a social issue and then bring the idea to life through the use of colorful floats and glamorous costumes, mostly kept under wraps until the start of the pre-Lenten world famous festival, running this year from Feb. 9-12.

Felipe Dana / AP

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Carnival masks in the likeness of Brazil's striker Neymar are prepared on an assembly line at the Condal factory in Sao Goncalo, near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Jan. 21. Condal is Brazil's oldest and most productive mask factory that is run by Olga Valles, a family business started in 1958. Carnival's license to be whoever you want to be for a day is at the core of Valles' business, with the season's sales representing 70 percent of her income.